Author Archive

The 2013 Schoolhouse Photo Gallery project has come together beautifully. Thank you members and friends for your contributions. We have twelve historical photos now framed and matted, which will be galleried in the Schoolhouse entryway sometime this January. The project committee, Sheron Laney, Marion Light, Chuck Cleland and Donalee Vermeesch have done an outstanding job in stretching our investment and choosing photos and memorabilia which represent the Schoolhouse well. Also a special thanks to the Picture This frame shop in Charlevoix.
The Inventory, Curation and Acquisition project got off to a strong start this fall. The Schoolhouse basement has been cleaned ...Read More »

Comments Off on Smithsonian Journey Stories at the Charlevoix Library Feb. – March 2014

“Journey Stories" will be at the Charlevoix Public Library February 3 - March 21, 2014. The traveling exhibition is a Museum on Main Street project in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, state humanities councils and local cultural organizations in small rural communities. It is the tale of how our ancestors came to America and settled down in their new home. The library is planning multiple lectures, concerts and events in conjunction with the exhibit. The Library has also asked for people to volunteer as docents. Those interested in serving as such should contact Linda Adams at the Charlevoix Public ...Read More »

Please make a note of our 2014 dates and events. We continue to urge you to support your local historical society. You can see outcomes of our recent endeavors at the schoolhouse. We will continue to work on the Photo gallery project in addition to continually cleaning up the basement and working on the acquisitions, curation and inventory project. Cathy Benson who will be leading up the project has considerable experience in this field and lots of resources to bring to bear on this effort. We are on our way of becoming a “solid” historical society and perhaps ...Read More »

The Board would like to welcome Sandy Miles as the secretary of the Norwood Area Historical Society. Sandy’s many talents including her expert knowledge of data storage and distribution will prove to be a great asset to the membership.
Our heartfelt thanks to Toni Zello for her efforts as secretary of the Board and her many past roles on the Norwood Area Historical Society Board. But most of all, for her devotion to this community, her reasonable voice in all things and for being a “counselor” to all. Toni, you are a dear and we miss you. ...Read More »

Comments Off on History Movie Night at the Old Schoolhouse September 18

The Norwood Area Historical Society will present the all-star adventure classic The Spoilers Wednesday, September 18 at dusk at the Old Schoolhouse in Norwood.
This 1942 oscar-nominated movie version of the popular 1905 Rex Beach novel stars a young John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, and Randolph Scott.
Adventure author Rex Beach was born in Atwood, Michigan in 1877. His contemporaries include Jack London and Zane Grey. Twenty-seven of Beach’s stories and novels became successful Hollywood movies, and The Spoilers was filmed four times between 1920 and 1950.
The novel and movie are based on true events witnessed by Beach in Alaska. Miner Roy Glennister ...Read More »

On Monday, May 27, 2013 citizens of the Norwood area gathered for the annual Memorial Day observance at the Norwood Cemetery. The ceremony was led by Dr. Kurt Kooyer, a Grand Rapids native who, along with his grandfather, has conducted these ceremonies in northern Michigan for many years--driving al the way from his busy medical practice in South Dakota.
As quiet shrouded the gathered community, two bald eagles executed a smart left turn and flew directly overhead as if in honor of those fallen. The poignant service concluded with a 21-gun salute from the local squad of Veterans of Foreign Wars, ...Read More »

Our emphasis this year has been toward making the schoolhouse a more historic site. Our first step was to recreate a classroom setting in the main room of the building. Two old student desks and chairs have been arranged in front of an original slate blackboard and the iconic pictures of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington found in every schoolhouse during that time period. If you look closely you'll find period textbooks in the desks that have been generously donated by local Norwood residents. That small vignette was completed during the winter and in the spring we launched our gallery ...Read More »

Did you hear the Norwood Schoolhouse and Methodist Church bells ringing on the Fourth of July at 2:00 p.m.? Why were they ringing?
On July 4, 1963, President Kennedy encouraged Americans nationwide to "ring freedom bells" to help celebrate Independence Day. While a popular tradition for many years, it slowly was forgotten and the bell ringing fell by the wayside. However, through a national effort on the part of patriotic citizens, the bell-ringing tradition has been resurrected and communities across the nation were encouraged to "ring a bell; cowbells, sleigh bells, school bells, church bells."
Marian Light caught wind of the idea ...Read More »

The Norwood Area Historical Society will host a viewing of a 1930s-era Rex Beach movie outdoors on the side of the Schoolhouse sometime in September or early October. Watch our Calendar for details.
Rex Beach, born in Atwood in 1877, went from prospecting to writing novels. His first and most famous novel, The Spoilers, was based on a true story of corrupt government officials stealing goldmines from prospectors, which he witnessed while prospecting in Nome, Alaska.
He kept writing and after much success in his literary endeavors many of his works were adapted into successful films.Read More »

Food, hunters and quilts? What do they have in common? We could spend all day spinning a yarn about those three things and how they go together. But we'll let you work on that in your free time. For now, it's a catchy way to remind you that the Norwood Needles Quilt raffle is still going.
Tickets can be purchased from Nancy Cleland --231-547-6220, or Pam Gnodtke --231-547-3066. The quilt is beautiful again this year. A winning ticket will be drawn at the Members Potluck Dinner.
Which is a wonderful segue into our reminder about the Members Potluck Wednesday, November 13 at ...Read More »